Like a bullet
by Tomate
Summary: Calleigh is falling in love with Eric. He wants nothing more than to be with her. But is she going to admit she's in love with him and let him in?
1. Chapter 1

"Hey, Cal," Eric greeted his colleague as he entered the ballistics lab

"Hey, Cal," Eric greeted his colleague as he entered the ballistics lab.

"Hey. What've you got?" she asked and smiled at him.

"I just visited Alexx and she gave me a little something for you. She pulled the bullet out of the victims head," Eric said and held a little plastic back in front of Calleigh's eyes.

She gave him a sweet smile in return. "Thanks, Eric."

Eric let his hand sink to the table and locked eyes with Calleigh. Her sweet smile changed into a shy one. She held his gaze until she heard a loud **bang**. They both looked away and turned toward the door where the noise had come from.

When they saw what caused the noise they couldn't help but laugh. Ryan sat on the floor, papers lying all over the floor around him. In front of him stood Valera as she apologized. "I'm so sorry, Ryan. I didn't see you." She had a guilty look on her face.

Calleigh and Eric looked again at each other and agreed silently to help them with the mess on the floor.

"What happened?" Eric asked as they stepped out of the room.

"I was thinking about some evidence I just found. I was on my way to you and happened to crash into Ryan as he was carrying these files." She gestured around them and then looked guiltily again at Ryan. "I'm really sorry."

"It's ok," he mumbled and started to collect the paper. "Now I have to rearrange them again," he groaned.

Calleigh knelt down beside him and helped him to get the paper back in order. Soon Valery and Eric followed to help them.

A few moments later Natalia walked up to them and shot them a strange look. "What are we doing?" she asked.

"Oh, I thought it would be fun to drop 10 case files on the ground," Ryan answered sarcastically and shot Valera an evil glare.

"I see," Natalia answered as she started to walk past the group.

"Talia, you really could help us here," Ryan said.

She laughed. "I didn't want to take any fun away from you," she teased.

"Haha, very funny."

"But seriously, how did this happen?" Natalia asked.

"Valera bumped into me." Ryan told her the short version of the story.

"Oh," she replied as she arranged some papers and laid them on a pile for one of the files.

When Eric and Calleigh reached for a few papers that lay in front of them, their fingers slightly touched. They looked at each other, a shy smile forming on Calleigh's face. Their look lasted a moment longer than it had to and Eric ran his fingers lightly over Calleigh's.

Calleigh broke the eye contact and looked down, a light flush creeping over her cheeks. She pulled her hand away from Eric's and arranged some papers. Eric tore his gaze away from Calleigh and started to pull up some papers as well.

Calleigh and Eric's little moment didn't go unrecognized. Natalia had looked up just as they had gotten lost in each other's eyes. She had watched the situation closely, a smile forming on her lips. Calleigh blushed lightly when she noticed the knowing look on Natalia's face.

A few minutes later they were done picking up the paper. Calleigh was the first to get up. "I have some work to do," she said as she excused herself and vanished into her lab again. The others excused themselves as well and soon all CSI's were back at work again.

Calleigh was just about to make a phone call when she heard movement behind her. She turned around and saw Eric standing in the doorway.

"Hey," she greeted. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Oh, just a few minutes," he replied. "I like seeing you work." He shrugged when Calleigh shot him a questioning look.

"So, um, did you get the gun?" Eric asked.

Calleigh grinned. "Of course. Did you get anything?"

"Yup," he replied.

Calleigh raised an eyebrow at him. "You wanna tell me what it is?"

"Depends…" he teased and stepped closer to Calleigh.

"…on?" She decided to play along.

Eric took another few steps towards Calleigh until they were only inches apart. Her heartbeat quickened a little and she could feel Eric's breath on her face.

"That depends on who buys me coffee tomorrow morning."

"In that case," Calleigh said and forced herself to tear away from Eric. "I'm not interested in that evidence." She turned around and leaned over her desk again.

Eric sighed. "Well, in that case I can't tell you what I have." He stepped close behind her and leaned over her to bring his moth close to her ear. "Are you really sure that you don't want to know what I have? 'Cos it's really interesting…" He whispered.

Calleigh shivered lightly. Eric didn't even touch her and she couldn't think clear. "Eric," she whispered without turning around to face him.

He placed both hands on the table, one next to each side of her body. "Yes?" he replied. "Are you sure you don't wanna know what the evidence is?"

"Hey guys, I think…"Natalia stormed into the lab and wanted to say something but trailed off when she saw Calleigh and Eric. "Am I interrupting something?" she asked.

They spun apart and looked sheepishly at each other and then at Natalia. Eric cleared his throat. "I um, I was just about to tell Calleigh about the suspect," he said.

Natalia raised her eyebrows. "Sure, whatever." Her eyes wandered to the case file in her hand. "I think I found something interesting and thought you should know."

Calleigh walked over to her, not only to take the file from her colleague but also to bring a little safe difference between her and Eric. "What did you get?" She asked.

"I went back to the crime scene with Ryan earlier and I found something that clearly was not there yesterday. I found a cigarette lighter under the closet in the hall."

"Do you think the murderer came back?" Calleigh asked.

"Maybe he was looking for something," Eric suggested.

"Yeah, maybe something that would give away who he is," Natalia agreed.

"So the question is what did we miss?" Calleigh asked. "Maybe we should go back there again. Our murderer got careless. Maybe he didn't only lose the cigarette lighter; maybe he left us some fingerprints as well."

"Maybe. You two should go back there and look around, see if I missed something," Natalia suggested.

Calleigh turned around and looked at Eric. "Sure," he replied. "Let's go."

"Just give me a minute. I'll get my kit and meet you outside," Calleigh said. Eric nodded and left the lab.

Natalia waited until Eric had left the room and then turned back to Calleigh. "Okay, what is going on between you two?" she asked.

Calleigh shot her an evil glare. "There is nothing going on between Eric and me. We're just friends." She rummaged through a few things, and then she grabbed her kit and walked towards the door. "I'm off to the crime scene now," she said as she walked past Natalia.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Finally the second chapter. I apologize that it took me so long but my beta and I had some problems with our computers so it took us a while. Anyways, thanks to all who commented to the last chapter. Now enjoy the new chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

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When Calleigh stepped out of the building, Eric was already waiting for her at his Hummer. She walked over to him and he welcomed her with a warm smile. Calleigh gave him a tight smile in return. She still was a little embarrassed that she couldn't think straight when he was too close. What she thought was even more embarrassing, was the fact that Natalia had noticed.

Eric noticed the look and crooked his head. "You okay?"

Calleigh nodded and climbed into the car. Eric, who had opened the door for her, closed it now behind her and jogged around the car to get onto the driver's seat.

The ride to the crime scene had been quiet. Normally Calleigh and Eric were chatting when they were together, but today neither knew what to say. They were good friends and the silence was supposed to be comfortable but it wasn't. On the contrary, it was very awkward.

Both of them were relieved when they arrived at the house and could get out of the car. Calleigh grabbed her kit and made her way into the house. She immediately started working and collected some evidence. Eric followed soon and started working as well.

They spent over an hour at the crime scene and the longer they stayed, the more they got comfortable around each other again. They still didn't talk much, just a few comments on the case but at least the awkwardness was gone.

Their ride back to the lab was quiet, but this time it was a comfortable silence. They both were lost in thoughts about the case. Every once in a while, Eric's gaze drifted from the road towards his partner. He smiled. She was clearly deep in thought and considering something.

"Wanna let me know what you think?" he asked and pulled Calleigh back into reality.

"I just wondered why the murderer came back. He must've been looking for something he missed in the first place. But what was it? What did we miss?"

"Maybe he didn't go back there voluntarily. Maybe he was forced to go back there."

"But who would do that?" Calleigh asked.

"Maybe it wasn't the murderer whose prints we found today. He could've sent someone else to the crime scene to take attention away from him. That was the reason I came to you earlier by the way. I found some prints on the evidence. Guess whose they were?"

"The victim's husband?" Calleigh suggested.

"Bingo. And he has a gun license..." Eric said while he came to a stop at a red light.

Calleigh looked at Eric. "I guess we just found our number one suspect," she said and locked eyes with him. He smiled sweetly at her, causing her to blush lightly. He always made her feel like they were the only people in the room and Eric always gave his undivided attention to her.

Neither of them was able to tear their gaze away. They were lost in each other's eyes and had completely forgotten that they were on the street. They only realized it when they heard a horn behind them, indicating them that the light was now green.

Calleigh's cheeks reddened even more and she looked back out the window. _How did Eric always manage to make her forget her surroundings? _Calleigh asked herself, slightly uncomfortable again.

When they reached the lab, Calleigh got out of the car. "I'm uh, gonna run these prints," she said and disappeared into the building without waiting for a response.

Eric sighed. This was not going to be fun. He was falling in love with her but didn't know how to act around her because she clearly had feelings for him as well. Otherwise she wouldn't act the way she did right now. But he knew Calleigh. She was way too professional to admit her feelings for a colleague.

Eric sighed again and then walked into the building as well. On the way to his lab he met Natalia.

"What's wrong with you and Calleigh?" she asked without hesitation.

Eric looked a little puzzled. "I… What do you mean?"

Natalia raised an eyebrow. "Oh come on, Eric, don't play dumb with me. At first, she is acting weird all day. She barely stays in a room with you, has always an excuse to leave. Second, I saw you two when we were collecting Ryan's case files. And third, were you trying to seduce Calleigh when I came into her lab right before the two of you left for the crime scene again?"

Eric laughed nervously. "No, I just tried to tease her a little. I…" he trailed off, unsure whether to tell Natalia the truth or not.

She rolled her eyes. "You're in love with her. Tell her. She won't bite your head off."

"Yeah, she'll only pull out my heart and rip it into pieces," he muttered bitterly.

"Oh come on Eric, you know her better than that. She wouldn't do that," Natalia replied softly. "She's just way too professional but I think you might be able change that. You're getting to her," she added with a wink. With that, Natalia turned around and left.

Eric looked slightly puzzled. He stood there for a while until he went back into his lab as well.

"Did you get something?" Eric asked when he entered Calleigh's lab a little later.

She turned around. "Yeah. The prints belong to Richard Adams. Never seen him before but his criminal record is kind of impressive," she turned the monitor around so that Eric could see what she was looking at.

"Nice," Eric said. "But he has no gun license. So I guess that doesn't make him number one suspect."

Calleigh shook her head. "No. That's still the husband. Did Horatio talk to him?"

"Yeah, he's currently questioning him. Do you have the report of the bullet yet?"

Calleigh flashed him a smile. "What do you think?"

Eric laughed. "Can I see it?"

"Sure," Calleigh replied. When she reached out to pass him the file, she dropped it just before he caught it and it landed on the floor, its contents flying around loosely. "Damn it, sorry," Calleigh said and walked around the table to put the file in the right order again.

They knelt down together and started to collect the sheets of paper. "Seems like today is the day of dropping case files," Eric said with a smirk.

Calleigh smiled slightly and reached for a piece of paper. When she touched it, she didn't feel paper in her hand, she felt Eric's hand instead. They looked at each other and smiled slyly. Eric ran his hand lightly over Calleigh's and up her lower arm. She shivered and looked down, grabbing the last few pieces of paper.

They stood up together and Calleigh placed the file on her desk again. She still stood close to Eric and didn't move away. She gazed up into his eyes again and forgot once again on that day everything around her. The only thing that was on her mind right now was Eric, who was leaning slowly closer. Their faces where only a few inches apart and Calleigh slowly closed her eyes.

The loud and shrill sound of Eric's mobile phone pulled Calleigh back to reality. She backed away, her eyes wide in surprise.

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**AN:** Soooo, a little cliffhanger :D What do you think? Did you like the chapter? Wanna tell me something? Please hit the little purplish button cos reviews make me very, very happy :D

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	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I am so sorry for the delay. Real life came in the way. Next Chapter will be up sooner. I promise.**

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Calleigh starred at Eric. If his phone hadn't rung, they'd probably be sharing a sweet kiss now.

"Calleigh," Eric said, completely ignoring his ringing phone. He knew she would run as soon as she had the chance and Eric wanted to stop her from that. He knew she would panic. He knew that she didn't want to ruin their friendship and their work relationship – and neither did he. But he couldn't deny his feelings for Calleigh any longer, the feelings that were more than just friendship.

When Calleigh finally found her voice again, she said, "You should answer that."

Eric sighed and reached for his cell phone. Horatio was calling him and probably wanted to know how far they were with the case or if there was any important news. But honestly, right now, Eric didn't really care. He just wanted to stop Calleigh from running. But when he turned to face her again he realized that it was too late. Calleigh was currently making her way out of her office and away from him.

Eric let out a deep breath. "Great," he muttered. Damn, why did she always have to run when he got through her? But at least now he knew how much he affected her. One thing was sure. It couldn't stay that way. They needed to talk.

Eric leaned against the side of Calleigh's car. He waited for her to come out of the building and making her way to her car to drive home. When he spotted her walking towards the parking lot, a slight smile tugged on his lips.

Calleigh saw Eric leaning against her car and slowed her steps a little bit. She wasn't sure if she was ready to face him. Things got way too complicated between them and Calleigh just couldn't deny any longer that she felt more than friendship for him. So she had to face him. But was she really ready yet? She walked up to Eric, giving him a shy smile.

"We need to talk," he said.

Eric studied Calleigh as she sighed. She looked uncomfortable and a little nervous. She titled her head down towards the ground and remained silent for a moment. Eric just hoped she wouldn't shut him out again. After a time that seemed endless, she finally looked back up at him.

"Yeah, we need to talk, but not here and not now," she said.

"Calleigh…"

"Eric please," she pleaded. "I can't do this right now. We're gonna have this talk, just not now."

The look in Calleigh's eyes told him that she meant what she said. "Okay." Eric slowly nodded.

Calleigh gave him a thankful smile. "I'm sorry, Eric, but I have to go now. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, tomorrow," he replied and stepped away from the car so that Calleigh could get in

3 hours and a lot of arguing with her father later, Calleigh stepped into her apartment. She took a deep breath and plopped onto the sofa. Why did her father always have to disappoint her? A single tear rolled down her cheek.

Before she knew what she was doing, she had grabbed her cell and dialed Eric's number. "Hello?" she heard him say.

Calleigh didn't know what to say. She didn't even really know why she was calling him. She rolled her eyes at herself. _He's my best friend. I can talk to him._ She didn't notice that she still hadn't said a word until Eric's voice spoke up again.

"Cal?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah. Hi Eric," she said.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She could hear the concern in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm…" she trailed off because she knew Eric wouldn't believe her anyway. She could just as well tell him what was going on. She sighed. "I just saw my father," she said.

"Oh," Eric said. "How is he?"

Calleigh snorted. "I had to save his ass again. He went to a bar and had, I quote, " just a few drinks." He couldn't even walk straight."

"I'm sorry, Cal."

"Thanks, Eric." They fell in a comfortable silence for a few moments. "Why does he always have to hurt me?" she then whispered.

"Calleigh," he said softly. "Do you want me to come over?"

"No, it's okay. I'll just take a shower and then go to bed. But thanks for the offer, Eric. I really appreciate it."

"Okay, but if you need anything, don't hesitate to call me okay?"

"Yeah, thank you. But I'll be alright."

"Okay, then I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep well," Eric said.

"You too. Bye," Calleigh pressed the red button on her cell phone and placed it on the table in front her. She sighed heavily and rested her head back against the sofa, closing her eyes. Calleigh stayed a moment longer in her living room until she decided to get up and take a shower.

Half an hour later, Calleigh lay in her bed and tried to fall asleep, failing miserably. She tossed and turned in her sheets for about an hour before she got up again and walked into the living room. For a split second she thought about calling Eric again but then dismissed the idea. Instead she turned the TV on and clicked through the programs.

After a while she got tired and had trouble keeping her eyes open so she decided to go to bed again and try to fall asleep.

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**AN: So, what do you think? I know it's pretty short but I promise that the next chap will be longer. Did you like it anyway? Or not? Reviews make me very happy :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Sorry for the delay, guys. I have been on vacation and haven't been able to update before I left. I promise that I'll update on a regular basis from now on ;) Now go and read the new chapter and enjoy it :D**

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Calleigh entered the lab the next morning looking tired and acting slightly cranky. She hadn't slept well at all. On her way towards the break room, she met Natalia, who greeted her with a warm smile.

"Morning," Calleigh said.

"Hey. You look tired," Natalia noticed.

Calleigh sighed. "Yeah, I slept like hell."

"Sucks huh?"

"Yeah. Hey, did you get anything new concerning the case?" Calleigh changed the subject.

Natalia shook her head. "No, there's nothing new. Horatio hopes that we find something to get this guy arrested soon."

"Yeah, I hope that, too. I'm gonna go change and then get back to my evidence. Maybe we missed something."

"See you later," Natalia said and continued walking towards her lab.

Calleigh made her way into the break room. When Calleigh got to the break room, the smell of fresh coffee hit her and a smile immediately crossed her face and she relaxed a bit.

"Morning," Eric said behind her.

Calleigh turned and smiled at him. "Morning."

He walked over to her and eyed her carefully. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just haven't slept well, that's all," she said and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Okay. I'm gonna go then," Eric said and walked to the door.

Just before Eric reached it, he was stopped by Calleigh's voice. "Hey, um, you wanna grab a bite after the shift?" she asked shy. "We could, um, talk."

Eric turned back around and smiled at her. "Sure."

"Okay then. See you later," Calleigh said and smiled again at Eric.

Later, Eric stepped into Calleigh's lab. "Hey. You got news?" she asked.

"Yeah, Horatio is questioning the husband again. Natalia found something that may convict him for that murder."

Calleigh took a deep breath. "I really hope so. I checked every single piece of evidence twice. I don't know what we could have missed."

"Me either." Eric leaned casually against the desk and looked at Calleigh. She smiled back up at him. For a few moments neither of them said anything but after a while Eric spoke up again. "I'm gonna go back to work. Maybe we need to find something different."

"Okay then. I'll see you around."

Eric nodded and left her lab.

Calleigh sat in the break room, waiting for a certain someone to pick up his stuff and get ready to leave. She was lost in thoughts and didn't notice the door open and close again. She only noticed when Eric stepped behind her and softly rested his hands on her shoulders, causing her to jump lightly.

"Sorry, didn't want to scare you," he said softly, not taking his hands off her shoulders.

"I didn't notice that you came in. I was a little lost in thoughts," she explained.

Eric smiled. "Yeah, I figured that," he slid his arms softly down her shoulders, causing Calleigh to shiver. "Ready to go?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded. "Let's go. I wanna get out of here."

Eric grinned and guided her out of the building and towards his car. "Where do you wanna go?"

She thought for a moment. "Why don't we get some takeout and go to the beach?" she asked.

"As you wish, my lady," he said and smiled.

Calleigh laughed. "We don't have to if you don't want to…"

"No. I like the idea. I even have a blanket," he said and winked, causing Calleigh to smile brightly.

Eric drove first to Calleigh's favorite Chinese restaurant and then to the beach. On their ride to the beach and during dinner, they made casual small talk. When they were done eating, Calleigh lay back, propping herself up on her elbows. She let her gaze wander over the water with a dreamy look on her face.

Eric's eyes were focused on her face and he smiled slightly. "What are you thinking?" he asked.

Calleigh rested her gaze a little longer on the ocean before she turned her head and looked at Eric. With a shy smile, she replied: "I was thinking about you."

Eric smiled back at her and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't want to ignore this anymore," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I know," Calleigh answered. "But what if it doesn't work out? I don't want to ruin our friendship. What we have… it's special."

"Yeah, it is. But what makes you think that this isn't going to work? We're best friends, we get along and like you said, what we have is special."

"I don't know. I just… I'm scared. And we work together. You know Stetler's stupid rule about work and relationships."

"Listen, Calleigh, I know you're scared but I'm here for you and I promise you that I'm not going to leave you. You don't have to be scared."

"But that doesn't rule out Stetler. You know that he is looking for the slightest reason to kick any of us off the team," Calleigh said.

"We could keep it a secret…"

"Do you really think we would manage that?"

"Yeah, I think so," Eric replied. "If we really want this to work out, we would manage it."

Calleigh smiled at him, her eyes resting on his but she didn't give him an answer.

"What?" he asked.

"Promise me something?" Calleigh said.

Eric smiled. "Anything." His answer caused a light blush to show up on Calleigh's face.

"If we start this, we're gonna take it slow."

"Does this mean you're giving us a chance?"

A smile spread across Calleigh's face. She still was scared that they would ruin their friendship or that it would affect their work but Calleigh knew that she couldn't deny her feelings for Eric any longer and more important, she didn't want to. They had to try and they would make it work.

She took a deep breath and then finally replied, "Yes, I wanna try."

Eric broke out in a wide grin. "But," Calleigh said and stressed the word, "There are some ground rules." She tried to look serious but a smile tugged at her lips. "We're going to take it slow."

"As slow as you want, Querida."

Calleigh smiled shy and continued talking. "We'll keep it a secret because I don't want either of us to get a problem with Rick. I don't want either of us to lose the job or to get transferred to the nightshift."

Eric smiled and squeezed her hand softly to show his support.

"And last but not least," she said and grinned. "You're gonna take me out to dinner tomorrow night."

Eric laughed. "No, I will not take you out to dinner. I'll make you dinner," he said with a wink.

Calleigh smiled in return. "I'd really like that."

They fell in a comfortable silence again. Calleigh let her gaze wander over the water once more where the sun was just going down. A sweet smile played around her lips. Eric watched her expression closely and smiled. The sun let her face shine in a light red color and brought a sparkle in her eyes.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, reached out and ran his fingers softly through her silky blonde hair.

Calleigh looked back at Eric and smiled. She locked eyes with him and both forgot everything around them and had only the other in mind.

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**AN: So, what did you think? Liked it or not? Reviews make me very, very happy.**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I have to apologize again for taking so long to update this. I hope that I can update on a regular basis now. I'll try my best.**

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When the sun had gone down, Calleigh lay down on the blanket, using her hands as a cushion. Eric smiled and sat down behind her, offering his lap as a pillow. Calleigh smiled and rested her head on his thigh. She looked up at Eric and took one of his hands softly in hers.

"This is nice," Calleigh said.

"Hmhmm," Eric replied and ran his free hand through her hair. "Took you long enough to admit it," he then teased her.

"Shut up," Calleigh countered but had a guilty look on her face.

"Sorry," Eric apologized and brushed his fingers softly over her cheek. "Don't feel guilty about it. I know you needed the time and I always respected that. Nevertheless I'm glad you finally stopped fighting your feelings for me." He winked at her and earned a sweet smile in return.

Once more, a comfortable silence settled in. Calleigh had closed her eyes and Eric softly ran his fingers through her hair and over her cheeks.

"You tired?" Eric whispered after a while.

"A little," Calleigh replied and opened her eyes again. "You wanna go for a walk?"

"Sure. I'll just bring the blanket back to the car and then we can go."

They both got up. Eric picked up the blanket and jogged to the car and then back to Calleigh. While he put the blanket away, Calleigh had taken off her shoes and taken them into one hand. Eric approached her and rested his hand lightly on her back to guide her down the beach.

They walked along the beach, making casual small talk. Calleigh suddenly stopped and picked something up. Eric turned around to wait for her but when she didn't come, he took a few steps back to her. He looked down to Calleigh's hands to see what she had picked up and smiled when he recognized what it was.

"It's beautiful," Calleigh said, softly turning a sea shell in her hands.

Eric looked back at her. "Yeah," he said. Calleigh blushed lightly when she noticed that he wasn't talking about the sea shell.

"Thanks," she whispered shyly.

Eric grinned. "You know, I really like this cute, shy side of yours." He reached for her hands and took them into his, softly stoking her fingers. Calleigh smiled and shivered lightly.

"Are you cold?" Eric asked. It had gotten a little colder than it was when they sat on the blanket.

"Yeah a little," she answered.

Eric let go of Calleigh's hands and took off his jacket to wrap it around her shoulders and she smiled in return. "You wanna go home?" he asked. When she didn't give him an answer, Eric continued. "We could watch a movie…"

Calleigh smiled. "I'd like that."

Eric had feared that she would say no for a split second. He was relieved that she didn't and smiled. "Then let's go back," he said and slid an arm around her waist when she turned around, causing Calleigh to smile. She leaned into him, absorbing the warmth from his body.

They walked back to Eric's car and he drove them to his apartment. When they arrived, he opened her the door and guided her into the building.

"What do you wanna watch?" he asked her on the way.

"I don't know. What do you have?"

"Obviously, I don't have any chic flicks," he said with a grin and earned an annoyed look in return.

"It's a total cliché that every woman loves chic flicks. Besides, do I look like a person who is into that kind of movie?"

"Honestly?" Eric asked. "I would've thought that you'd like that kind of movie. And you do, don't you?" he teased while he was opening his front door.

Calleigh rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I like them. But I don't have to watch them all the time. Unlike Valera. I don't think she'd survive without chic flicks."

"I think it's a good thing then that I wanna date you and not Valera. I would watch a chic flick for you though…"

Calleigh smirked. "Then you know what we're gonna watch next time?" She broke into a wide smile as she handed Eric his jacket back and walked into his living room. He groaned. _Why did I have to say that? _he wondered.

Eric had closed the door behind him and then approached Calleigh in the living room. "Want something to drink? I have a nice red wine," he said and winked.

Calleigh smiled. "Sure. And while you get that, I'll go through your movies." She walked over to his DVD collection.

When Eric returned to his living room, Calleigh was already sitting on his sofa. She had taken off her shoes and knelt comfortable on his couch. She smirked and held out a DVD cover. "So, no chic flicks, huh?"

Eric blushed lightly as he placed two glasses and a bottle of red wine on the table. "I don't count _Miss Congeniality _as a chic flick."

She laughed and stretched out her arm to give him the cover. "You wanna watch it?" Eric asked.

"Yes," Calleigh replied.

She smiled when his fingers softly brushed over hers as Eric reached out and took the DVD from her. He walked over to his DVD player to put the disk in. When he came back to the sofa he plopped down next to Calleigh, making sure not to sit too close nor too far away from her. She smiled at the gesture.

Eric reached for the bottle and poured wine in both glasses, handing Calleigh one. Both of them took a sip from their wine and then set the glasses back on the table.

Calleigh looked at Eric and smiled. She slid closer and snuggled against him, causing him to smile. He laid his arm around her shoulder and ran his hand softly through her hair. She sighed and rested her head on Eric's shoulder. It fit perfectly there.

During the movie, Calleigh placed her hands on Eric's chest and he wrapped both of his arms around her body, holding her tight. He ran his hands from time to time through her hair and softly up and down her arm.

By the time the movie was over, Calleigh had fallen asleep. She lay in his arms with a content look on her face, her breathing steady. Eric smiled and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. She looked so peaceful. Should he wake her up?

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**AN: So, what do you think about the new chapter? Liked it? Or not?  
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	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I am so, so sorry for not updating in such a long time. I feel horrible because of that. I promise to update on a more regular basis now. Thank you to all who have reviewed. It really means a lot. Enjoy the story. **

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"Calleigh," Eric whispered and shook her body softly. "Cal."

She stirred in his arms and slowly opened her eyes. "What's going on?" she asked, for a few moments unaware why she lay in Eric's arms. When the memory came back to her, she smiled lightly. "Hey," she whispered.

Eric smiled softly. "Hey. You fell asleep during the movie."

Calleigh's smile became wider. "Well, I guess it was too comfortable to stay awake." She sat up and stretched her arms out. "What time is it?" she then asked and stifled a yawn.

Eric gazed down at his watch. "Almost 11.30," he replied.

"Oh," she said. "I guess I should go home."

"Cal, you don't have to leave."

"Eric…"

"Please stay," Eric pleaded. "It's late. And besides, you don't have a car. It's still at the lab."

Calleigh grinned sheepishly. She had totally forgotten that her car was still at the lab. She took a deep breath and then finally agreed. "Okay," she said with a smile. "But on one condition," she added.

"I won't touch you or do anything you don't want."

Calleigh laughed. "I know. And that's not the condition."

Eric grinned sheepishly. "What is it then? I have to sleep on the sofa? 'Cos I'd do that…"

Calleigh laughed again. "No, that's not it, either. But if you keep talking, I will make you sleep on the couch," she said with a smirk. "The condition is that you'll drive me to my apartment tomorrow morning so I can change."

"Oh," Eric looked surprised. "I'll totally do that, if that means that I get to spend the night with Calleigh Duquesne," he said with a wide grin.

Calleigh rolled her eyes and smacked him playfully on the arm. Then she settled back to her original spot. "So, does this mean that I get to spend another few minutes in this position? Cos I really like that. It feels nice."

Eric grinned. "You get to spend all the time you want in my arms," he said and placed a soft kiss on her hair.

Calleigh smiled and snuggled closer into his embrace. Her right hand lay on Eric's stomach and she traced a soft pattern. Eric ran his hand lightly down Calleigh's arm, causing her to shiver all over. Her breathing became steady again and Eric knew that she slowly drifted off to sleep again.

"Hey, Querida, before you fall asleep again, let's get you to bed."

Calleigh sighed and started to move but was stopped when Eric picked her up. She let out a light squeal but then laughed softly, enjoying the feeling of being in Eric's arms. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders to steady herself.

Eric carried her into his bedroom and then let her down, placing his hands softly on her shoulders. He smiled.

"What?" Calleigh asked.

Eric chuckled softly. "Nothing, I just thought that you're a lot shorter without your heels on."

Calleigh grinned. "Yeah. This means that you have to bend down a little more to kiss me."

"Is that permission to kiss you?" Eric asked with a grin.

Calleigh thought about the question and titled her head a little. "No," she then said and turned around to go to the bathroom.

Eric smiled. "You always got a way to tease me, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah," she called over her shoulder.

Eric shook his head. "I'll get you some clothes," he said. When Calleigh turned around and looked at him in confusion, he added:"You don't wanna sleep in that outfit, do you?"

She smiled sheepish. "No, I really don't. Thanks, Eric."

He searched his drawers for some old clothes for Calleigh. "Um, do an old shirt and old boxers work for you?" he asked.

"Perfect," she replied.

Eric took them out and walked over to her. He handed the clothes to her and ran his finger softly down her cheek. Calleigh winked at him and turned around, went to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Eric watched her disappear and smiled to himself. _Did this really happen?_

Eric turned around and walked over to his closet. He took out his own pajamas and put them on. Then he sat down on the bed and waited for Calleigh. When she came out of the bathroom, she wore Eric's shirt, which was way too big for her, and Eric's old boxers. He let his eyes wander down her body.

Eric cleared his throat. "You look good."

Calleigh blushed. "Thanks," she mumbled. "You don't look so bad yourself," she then added.

Eric grinned. "Well, Thank you, Miss." He winked at her. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom."

Calleigh nodded and walked over to a chair that stood in the room. She placed her clothes on it and then sat down on the edge of Eric's bed to wait for him to come out of the bathroom again. A few minutes later he came out.

"You sure you don't want me to sleep on the couch?" he asked.

Calleigh smiled and crawled underneath the covers. "Totally sure," she said and lifted the blanket again, inviting him to join her.

Eric smiled and lay down next to Calleigh. He turned around to turn off the light and then turned back to Calleigh. Eric wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She rested her head on his shoulder where it fitted perfectly and laid her arm across his stomach.

Eric ran softly a hand through her hair and gave her a light kiss on the top of her head. "Good night, Querida. Sleep well," he whispered.

"Night," Calleigh mumbled sleepily into his shoulder.

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**AN: So, how did you like the update? Good? Bad? Let me know what you think and review. **


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Finally an update. I'm sorry I don't have the time to update so much lately. I just started University and it's just crazy. I hope everything will be back to normal soon so I have more time to write and update this story. Thanks to all of you who reviewed. Your reviews make me really happy and I'm glad you like my story.**

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Eric woke up the next morning and felt a light tickle on his face. As he wiped his face, he recognized long blonde hair. With a smile, Eric reached out to pull Calleigh closer. She wiggled a little in his arms but then snuggled up against his body. Eric smiled and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head.

"Cal," he whispered. She wiggled again in his arms and refused to open her eyes, causing Eric to laugh. "Hey baby, wake up."

Calleigh groaned lightly and then opened her eyes. She looked up at him, a light smile playing around her lips. "Morning," she murmured and placed her head back on his shoulder.

Eric chuckled. "Not really a morning person, huh?"

Calleigh smiled and placed a soft kiss on his shoulder. "Depends on how one wakes me up."

Eric smirked and pushed Calleigh lightly onto her back. "So, how do you want me to wake you up then?" He softly ran a hand down her arm but gave her enough space to pull away if she wanted to.

Calleigh grinned. "Oh, I guess you'll figure it out," she said, then pushed Eric onto his back and got up. "I'll take a shower. You make coffee."

Eric shook his head but smiled to himself. "I guess making coffee is one of the good ways," he called after her.

While Calleigh was in the shower, Eric went into the kitchen and made coffee, like Calleigh had asked him. He leaned casual against the counter and waited for her to exit the bathroom. Every once in a while, he took a sip from the coffee mug he held in his right hand. A few moments later Calleigh appeared in the doorway.

"Coffee, please?" she asked. She wore the same clothes as the day before and as she walked towards him, he could smell his shower gel. He held out a cup of coffee.

"Thanks," she replied, and then took a sip. Calleigh stood in front of him and looked Eric in the eyes.

He ran his index finger softly down her nose and, "I'm gonna take a shower now." He placed his cup on the counter and walked into the bathroom.

Eric heard Calleigh laugh behind him. He still couldn't believe his luck, that he could call Calleigh Duquesne his girlfriend. He was even a little proud of her that she didn't run when it came to talking about her feelings.

When Eric came out of the bathroom and walked back into the kitchen, Calleigh was sitting on his counter, with a dreamy smile on her face. She held her now empty coffee cup in one hand and her legs hung over the edge of the counter. He walked over to her and stood in front of her.

"What?" he asked with an amused look.

"Nothing," she replied and set the cup down beside her so that her arms were free to wrap them around Eric's neck.

He smiled. "Must be something. What were you thinking about? You had a very dreamy look on your face and I'd love to know what put it there," Eric said with a wink.

Calleigh gave him a sweet smile. "Oh come on, you probably know what I was thinking about and just wanna hear that you put the look on my face."

Eric smiled sheepish. "Am I that easy to see through?"

She laughed and ran her fingers lightly through his hair. "No, I just know you way too well."

Eric placed his hands on either side of Calleigh's body and stepped between her legs. He leaned closer but just before their lips met, she pulled away and said, "We should leave if we wanna go to my apartment before the shift starts. And we don't wanna be late, do we?"

Eric groaned. "Am I ever going to get that kiss?"

Calleigh smiled triumphantly. "That depends."

"On?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"On what you are cooking me tonight," she said as the smile on her face widened.

"You can't be serious," Eric replied and tried to sound shocked but the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips gave it away.

Calleigh pushed Eric away gently and gave him an apologetic look before she hopped off the counter. She grabbed his hand and guided him to the door.

They made their way over to Calleigh's apartment and chatted over casual things. When Eric pulled into the parking lot in front of her building, Calleigh asked, "Wanna come up?"

"Sure," he replied. Eric got out of the car and followed Calleigh into her apartment.

"You want something to drink?" Calleigh asked as she entered her kitchen.

Eric approached her. "I wouldn't say no to a coffee," he replied.

Calleigh grinned wickedly at him. "Feel free to make some."

Eric chuckled. "So, I'm making the coffee and you're making … what exactly?"

She stepped a little closer to Eric and laid her hands on his chest. "I," she said. "Am gonna go change. 'Cos again, we don't wanna be late for work, do we?"

"Sometimes I could kill you for your professionalism," he said and tugged a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

She smiled. "You wouldn't want me any other way and you know it. But just so you know," she added. "Sometimes I hate it myself." With a wink she disappeared into her bedroom.

While Calleigh changed to fresh clothes, Eric made some fresh coffee for the two of them. He was looking through her cupboards when she came back in the kitchen.

"What are you looking for?" she asked.

Eric shrugged. "Just looking around."

"So, you're making yourself familiar with my kitchen. Are you planning on cooking me dinner here? So that I can kick you out if it doesn't taste well?"

Eric turned to face her. "Are you questioning my cooking skills?" he asked and raised his eyebrows.

"No, I'd never dare to do that," she teased.

"Calleigh Duquesne," Eric said and made a few steps towards her. "Stop making fun of me or I will not make you dinner. "

"Then you'd break one of the ground rules I set for this relationship."

Eric took another step towards her and a wide grin showed up on his face.

"What?" Calleigh asked, slightly confused.

"You're still not as tall as I am, although you've got your favorite shoes on," he noticed.

Calleigh rolled her eyes. "Shut up or you'll never get to kiss me!"

"Now that," Eric took a few steps toward Calleigh and closed the gap that separated them. "That would just be mean."

Calleigh smirked. "Who said I'm a nice girl?" She walked around Eric to pick up a cup of coffee from the counter and then leaned casually against it.

Eric turned around to her. "Oh, I don't know. Somebody told me once that you'd be a nice girl. I guess they were wrong."

Calleigh laughed lightly. "Yup, whoever told you that was totally wrong."

"Then I guess I have to live with that fact that you're an evil person."

She shook her head, wanting to look serious but a smile tugged at her mouth and she took a sip from her coffee. Eric walked over to her and stepped right in front of her. He leaned down so that their faces were even and he placed his hands on the counter, trapping Calleigh.

"Now we're gonna see how mean you really are," Eric whispered and leaned in.

He closed the remaining space between them and pressed his lips softly to hers. She sighed softly making Eric smile against her lips. He nibbled lightly at her bottom lip, asking for permission to deepen the kiss. Calleigh opened her mouth a little and gave him access. He slid his tongue inside and softly explored her mouth. She teased him by gentle biting his tongue and then pulled him closer and deepened the kiss. Eric slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her body as close as he could.

They shared a sweet kiss until they ran out of air and Calleigh pulled away. She smiled up at him and rested her hand on his chest, her forehead touching his. Eric's fingers played lightly with the waistband of Calleigh's shirt and he placed a soft kiss on her nose.

"Not as evil as you just said," he said and grinned.

Calleigh laughed and wrapped her arms around Eric. She rested her head on his chest and Eric rested his chin on her head.

"Thanks for letting me in," Eric whispered after a while.

Calleigh looked up at him. "I'm assuming that you don't mean my apartment…" she teased.

Eric laughed lightly. "No, I'm not talking about your apartment."

They stayed a few more minutes like that until Calleigh spoke again. "We should leave or we'll be late for work," she said.

Eric nodded. "Okay," he said. "But before we leave, I get another kiss." He leaned in and kissed Calleigh again. The kiss was more passionate then the first was, but it was equally soft and tender.

When they broke apart, Calleigh took Eric's hand and guided him out of the apartment.

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**AN 2: So, I hope you liked it. Remember, reviews make me very, very happy :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination.**

**AN: Thanks to Delko'sGirl88 for betareading the story :)**

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Calleigh sat in her lab, a huge table of evidence in front of her. Horatio had arrested the murderer of the last case the night before. Now the CSI team had a new case. She sighed. Processing all this evidence would take her the entire day. The rest of the team had their own work. Eric and Natalia were still out in the field.

With another sigh, Calleigh started to work on the evidence. She ran fingerprints but didn't find anything that could help them. By lunchtime, she had not even worked through half of the stuff in front of her.

A soft knock on the door made her turn around. Eric stood in the door frame and watched her. She smiled at him. "Hey."

"Hey. I was wondering if you'd like to get some lunch with me," Eric said and stepped into the lab.

"I'm not that hungry," she replied and shrugged. "And besides, I have some work to do," she added and motioned to the table in front of her.

Eric walked up besides her. "That's a lot of evidence to process," he noticed.

Calleigh let out a soft chuckle. "Really I wouldn't have noticed myself," she teased.

"Let's make a deal," Eric said and brushed his fingers softly over hers. "We're gonna get some lunch now and afterward I'll help you with this." He gestured to the table.

Calleigh let out a breath. "Okay," she said and put down the shoe she was currently examining.

Calleigh and Eric sat in the break room and eat their lunch in a comfortable silence when Natalia entered the room. She carried a bowl with salad and plopped down next to Calleigh on a chair. She sighed heavily, causing Calleigh and Eric to chuckle. They first looked at each other and then at Natalia.

"What's wrong?" Calleigh asked.

"This sucks," she stated.

"What does?" Eric asked confused.

"All this; my job, my private life, everything just sucks."

Eric raised an eyebrow and Calleigh tried to stiffen laughter. "Talia, you love your job, you're overacting," she said after she had calmed down.

"No, I just decided to hate it."

Eric couldn't help but laugh, receiving an evil glare from Natalia and a knowing look from Calleigh.

"Ok, so your job sucks. I can understand that. Well, sometimes at least. You should see the table of evidence that's waiting in my lab. But why does your private life suck?" Calleigh asked.

Natalie dogged her fork into her salad and poked a little in it. "I don't know. It's just that it seems like I'm always unlucky when it comes to guys. I mean when did I have the last relationship whit a guy who wasn't a jerk?"

Calleigh tried hard not to start laughing at the look on Eric's face. He looked like someone just had run over his puppy. "You know I'm in the room, right?" he asked Natalia after shooting Calleigh an evil glare.

"Oh god, Eric, I didn't mean you… I mean… You're not a jerk," she said with a guilty look in Eric's direction. "See my last relationship with someone that wasn't a jerk was with Eric. And that was ages ago. And what did I have since then?" She sighed tragically.

"Okay, Natalia, you're love life isn't that bad. I mean, look at the guys I've been with. Hagen shot himself just after he held a gun to my head. And Jake… Let's not talk about him."

Natalia looked a little amused. "Yeah, you seem not to have such a good touch," she said. "But you know there is someone who really loves you and would give his life to be with you…" she trailed off.

A slight blush rose into Calleigh's cheeks and she cast her glance on the food in front of her. After a few seconds, she looked at Eric and smiled.

"And there is also someone out there for you who'd give his life to be with you," Calleigh said without paying further attention to Natalia's comment.

"I doubt that."

Calleigh laughed. "Oh, Talia, come on. That's insane and you know that."

Eric nodded. "I'm with her on that point."

Natalia raised an eyebrow. "You're always with her on her points."

Eric shrugged. "I guess that's because she's always right."

"No, I think that's because…" Natalia started but was cut off by Calleigh.

"You remember I'm here, right?" she spoke up. "I think you need to go out tonight, catch a drink and maybe meet a nice guy," Calleigh then continued.

"Hmm, sounds like a good idea. Are you coming?"

"I um, I can't. I'm meeting my dad," Calleigh lied and looked apologetic at Eric. He smiled encouraging. "But you should ask Maxine. She'll probably tag along," she then suggested.

"Good idea. She could need a boyfriend as well."

Calleigh laughed as she finished her lunch. "Are you trying to set everyone at this lab up with someone?"

Natalia shrugged. "I just want people to be happy."

Calleigh chuckled and then sighed. "I'm gonna go back to my work. I have a lot of evidence to process," she said and stood up.

Eric nodded and turned to Natalia. "I'll join Calleigh. I promised to help her."

"Okay," Natalia replied. "See you guys around."

Calleigh and Eric made their way out of the break room and into her lab.

Eric chuckled lightly. "Why does she always try to set us up? And why does she have those problems?"

Calleigh looked at him. "Well, she just wants us to be happy. I guess that's all. And by the way, your face was priceless when Natalia said that she had only been with jerks for ages," she said and smirked.

Eric grimaced at her and curled his mouth into a pout causing Calleigh to laugh. They fell into a comfortable silence again as they got back to work. Every once in a while, when their fingers touched, they looked at each other and smiled. They were almost done processing their evidence and still hadn't found anything when Ryan joined them.

He looked questioningly at the two of them. "What's wrong with you?" he asked.

Calleigh looked up. "Why should something be wrong?" she asked.

"You two are not talking. You always talk. Make jokes."

"Why is there something supposed to be wrong when we work in silence together?" Eric asked.

"I don't know. I was just thinking. It's unlike you. That's all."

"What do you want anyway?" Eric wanted to know.

"Right, I came here to ask if you found anything."

Calleigh sighed. "No, not yet."

"Okay. You need some help?" Ryan asked.

"No thanks. We're almost done here," Calleigh replied. "And hopefully we'll find a fingerprint or something that matches any of our suspects."

"Speaking of fingerprints, I think I've got one," Eric said.

"Eric, everyone has fingerprints," Calleigh teased him and Ryan grinned.

"Cute," Eric replied but gave Calleigh a sweet smile as he took the fingerprint to run it through the computer. After a few minutes, they had the matching face to the print.

"I think I know this guy," Ryan said. "He hung around at the crime scene this morning. I think I'm gonna pay him a visit."

With that Ryan was gone again. Calleigh and Eric looked at each other and shrugged. They took up their work again and processed the rest of the evidence, once more not speaking.

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**AN2: So, did you like it? I hope you did. I had quite fun writing that one. Writing the conversation between Eric, Natalia and Calleigh was funny. I should include the others of the team more in the fanfic. Anyway. I'd really like to know what you think.**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: I was without my computer for a week so I didn't have any time to write or update but here it goes, Chapter 9. I hope you enjoy it. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my imagination.**

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After his shift, Eric sat in the break room and waited for Calleigh to join him. When she entered the room and saw him sitting on the table, waiting for her, she smiled.

"Hey," she said. "You're still here?"

"Yeah, I thought I'd wait for you," he shrugged.

Calleigh smiled. "That's nice. But I'd like to go home and change before I meet you."

"You know you don't have to dress up for me, right?" Eric said with raised eyebrows.

She laughed lightly. "Yeah, I know. But I'd like to change anyway."

"Okay. So I'll meet you at my place?"

"Yup," Calleigh replied. "Is 8 o'clock ok?"

"Yeah, works with me."

"Okay, then I'll see you later," Calleigh said and left the break room to head home.

When Calleigh got home, she took a quick shower and then searched her closet for something to wear. She decided to go for a casual look: jeans and a black halter top with white pattern. To the outfit, Calleigh added her favorite black high heels and a black purse. She wore her hair down, soft curls framing her face. Her makeup was light and natural, as she liked it. After a final glance into the mirror, she grabbed her purse and a small bag where she had put some fresh clothes - just in case she spent the night at Eric's place - and left her apartment to drive to him.

She got there at 8 o'clock sharp. When Eric opened the door to let her in, he leaned down to place a quick kiss on her lips.

"Hey," he whispered. "You look great."

"Hey. Thanks," Calleigh said and blushed lightly. "See, I knew you'd like that I change," she added with a wink as she walked past him into his apartment.

Eric laughed and closed the door behind her. "You look great no matter what you're wearing, Cal," he said and then pulled Calleigh into his arms and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Will you stay tonight?" he asked.

Calleigh smirked. "Depends…"

Eric laughed. "Let me guess. Depends on what you'll get for dinner."

Calleigh grinned. "Exactly," she said and placed a kiss on his lips. "You want me to stay?" she then asked serious.

"Are you kidding? Of course I want you to stay."

"Then I'll stay," Calleigh whispered and grabbed the collar of his shirt to pull him into a kiss.

Eric first grinned against her lips but then soon responded to the kiss and deepened it. Calleigh dropped the two bags she was still carrying and wrapped her arms around his neck. They melted into a passionate kiss until they were out of oxygen. Calleigh pulled back and grinned at Eric.

Eric glanced down at the bag and smirked. "So, you planned on staying the night…"

A light blush rose to Calleigh's cheeks. "I just figured that you wouldn't let me go anyway. You didn't let me go yesterday so why should you let me go tonight? So I thought it would be good to bring some stuff to change," she said and winked at him.

"Sounds logical," Eric replied and bent down to pick her stuff up. "I'll bring that to the bedroom." He disappeared for a minute into his bedroom. Calleigh stayed where she was and waited for him to come back.

When Eric exited his bedroom again, he walked over to Calleigh, slipped his hand around her waist and guided her into the living room. "Make yourself comfortable," he said. "I just need to set up something and then dinner will be ready."

"Okay," she replied. Eric vanished into his kitchen and Calleigh decided to look around in his living room. Although she had been here many times before, she had never really paid attention to all his stuff, not the way she did now. He had photographs of his family, her and Speed set up in the room. Her gaze fell on one particular photo of her, Eric and Speed. It was taken at a party. Calleigh smiled at the memory.

A few minutes later, Eric stepped behind Calleigh and wrapped his arms around her body. He bent down a little and rested his head against hers. She smiled and leaned into his touch. "That's a nice picture of You, Speed and me," she whispered.

Eric smiled. "Yeah, it is. It was a nice evening although none of us wanted to go in the first place."

Calleigh laughed at the memory. "Right, Horatio forced us to go there."

They looked for a few moments longer at the photograph until Eric lightly tugged Calleigh backwards with him. "Come on, querida, dinner's waiting for you."

She smiled and let him drag her with him towards the balcony. He had turned them around on the way so that they were walking forwards. Calleigh stopped at the door to the balcony and turned around to face Eric.

"You like it?" he asked, a nervous glint in his voice.

Calleigh nodded. "Yeah, it's wonderful," she whispered softly and hugged him.

On the balcony, there stood a small table with two plates and wineglasses. Between the plates, a vase held a single red rose. Eric had placed candles on the handrail of the balcony which let the surroundings appear in a soft light and created a romantic atmosphere.

"It's amazing," Calleigh said as Eric guided her out onto the balcony.

They sat down on the table and made casual small talk over their dinner. When they were done with their meal, they kept sitting on the balcony. Calleigh leaned back in her chair but had one hand still on the table. Eric leaned with one arm on the table, his other was stretched out and he played softly with Calleigh's fingers. She smiled at him and titled her head a little.

"What?" Eric asked, a smile playing around his lips.

"Nothing," Calleigh replied and leaned forward. She touched the red rose in the middle of the table and then reached over the table to Eric's hand and ran her fingers lightly over his.

"It was a wonderful evening. Thanks, Eric," she said.

Eric smiled, ran his hand softly through her hair and then tugged a strand behind her ear. "Always, Querida." He looked a little longer at her and then said "You look tired. Wanna go to bed?"

Calleigh stiffened a yawn and laughed lightly. "Yeah, actually I would really like to go to bed."

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**AN2: So, what did you think? Liked it? Or not? Something else you'd like to tell me? :D Feel free. **


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